In this deeply personal program, Music Director Pola Benke brings her Polish musical heritage to the stage, featuring Lutosławski’s charming Small Suite and Chopin’s poetic Piano Concerto No. 1. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 — a bold statement of artistic independence — closes the program with energy and vision. A concert that honors where we come from and the new paths we create.

Scenes from Life: Identity

JAMS Performing Arts Center

Join the Santa Monica Symphony for our annual MLK concert, presented in partnership with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition and in collaboration with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. Led by guest conductors Gary Pratt (Santa Monica Symphony) and Charles Dickerson (ICYOLA), this inspiring program will feature music that celebrates unity, equality, and hope for a brighter future.

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Scenes from Life: Unity (Annual MLK Concert)

Click HERE to register via Eventbrite. *Please note this ticket doesn’t guarantee late entry as our concerts are open seating, which is first-come, first-served. We strongly recommend guests arrive early. Doors open at 6:00 pm.

Scenes from Life: Joy

The Santa Monica Symphony opens its season with a high-energy program celebrating the many meanings of movement — physical, emotional, and cultural. From Aaron Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring and quiet Down a Country Lane to the urban pulse of Bernstein’s West Side Story and On the Town, this concert dances across landscapes and generations. Mexican composer Arturo Márquez brings fiery Latin flavor in his thrilling Danzón No. 2, and rising American composer Alistair Coleman sets the stage with Opalescence — a vivid orchestral portrait of swirling color and youthful vitality.

Scenes from Life: Movement

Click HERE to register for tickets and to receive concert updates.
All Santa Monica Symphony concerts are FREE, and seating is first come, first serve.

Season Finale Concert: Galactic Horizons

The Santa Monica Symphony proudly presents an evening of diverse and captivating music led by guest conductor Pola Benke. Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides Overture opens the concert with a sweeping seascape of emotional depth. Dmitry Kabalevsky’s Cello Concerto No. 1 follows, contrasting energetic vitality with soulful introspection. Josef Strauss’ enchanting Sphärenklänge Waltz enchants with its celestial elegance. The concert concludes with Joseph Haydn’s delightful Symphony No. 94,  Surprise, filled with wit, charm, and Haydn’s flair for the unexpected.

Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra

Mar 14, 2026

Scenes from Life: Identity

Jan 17, 2026

Scenes from Life: Unity (Annual MLK Concert)

Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra